A Journey Along the Nakasendo: Nature, Post Towns, and Culinary Delights

Day 1: Magome to Tsumago

A little history

Centuries ago, two major roads connected the ancient capital Kyoto to Edo, the center of power for the Tokugawa shoguns. The Tokaido followed the Pacific coastline, offering an easier but longer journey. In contrast, the Nakasendo provided a faster yet more challenging route through the mountainous interior of the country.

The Tokaido remains well-known and widely used today. Even the bullet train line connecting Tokyo and Kyoto follows its path and bears its name. The Nakasendo, however, faded into obscurity with the advent of railroads. Once-bustling post towns along its route, formerly centers of trade, were forgotten. Their ryokan inns, shops, and houses fell into disrepair.

Fortunately, in the 1960s, locals recognized the historical value of these towns and worked to preserve these important artifacts. The best-preserved post towns can be found in the Kiso River valley, where this journey will take us.

How my own Nakasendo journey began

I first heard about the Nakasendo a few years ago through a friend’s social media post. Initially, the idea of walking an unfamiliar mountain road seemed challenging, so I didn’t pursue it immediately.

Over time, I heard more about the Nakasendo from clients in my work as a tour guide. Their positive experiences, including some who walked the Kiso section independently, rekindled my interest.

My curiosity grew after reading William Scott Wilson’s “Walking The Kiso Road,” which provided historical context and local legends about the area.

The opportunity to walk the Nakasendo arose when a friend expressed interest in hiking it during the fall season. We made plans and, in early November, took the Bullet train to Nagoya to start our journey from Magome.

The post towns

Our journey began in Magome, a picturesque town with a main street lined with old-style houses. Despite being largely burned down in 1895, it was rebuilt using traditional methods. The steep main street featured small shops offering local crafts and souvenirs.

In his book “Kisoji,” which we used as a travel guide, William Scott Wilson mentioned an old Rinzai Zen temple, Eishoji, that we decided to visit. We climbed a narrow path lined with old statues of the bodhisattva Kannon, whose many arms I thought resembled the wings of an angel. The view of the hills and valleys surrounding Magome from the temple grounds was magnificent and well worth the short climb.

Along the Nakasendo, we passed through small hamlets where bright orange persimmons dried outside houses in the warm autumn sun. We also encountered several tea houses, the most memorable being the Ichikokuto Chaya. Its dimly lit interior, gently smoked by the irori open fireplace, felt like a step back in time. The Chaya was obviously well visited – a signboard at the entrance displayed names of countries, written by previous visitors.

The proprietor of this 250-year-old establishment welcomed travelers with free tea and candy (though donations were graciously accepted). This tea house experience was not just about refreshment, but also about participating in a centuries-old tradition of hospitality along the Nakasendo.

Our journey for the day ended in Tsumago, perhaps one of the most alluring stops on the Kiso Road. The town’s old houses and inns resembled a movie set from a bygone era, yet it remained a functioning town, with inhabitants going about their daily business. Traditional ryokans with open front doors created an inviting atmosphere for travelers.

Tsumago’s landmarks included the Matsushiro-ya, potentially the oldest ryokan on the Kiso Road, offering traditional Japanese hospitality without modern amenities like telephones, TV or wi-fi. Another notable site was the waki-honjin and its adjacent museum, where volunteer guides shared regional traditions and historical anecdotes, including the story of a special toilet built for Emperor Meiji’s visit in the late 19th century.

An area with stunning natural beauty

The Nakasendo road offered a diverse natural landscape. Our hike from Magome to Tsumago led us through forests with deciduous trees, splendid in their fall colors. The path varied, sometimes becoming a narrow mountain trail, other times joining modern paved roads, and occasionally revealing the old stone slab path that once connected Kyoto and Edo.

After the Ichikokuto Chaya, the path went downhill through a forest of very old cedar trees. At several points, there were poles with large brass bells called kuma-yoke attached. We were supposed to ring these bells to scare away any bears, though we wondered if ringing them might actually announce to the bears that dinner had arrived.

Once out of the cedar forest and at a lower elevation, we were surrounded again by beautiful maple trees in their full fall colors. In the middle of one such maple forest alongside the road, we saw the Ondaki-Medaki waterfalls, known as the “man and woman” falls. Legend says the famous warrior Musashi and his wife Otsu used to meditate underneath these waterfalls. The “woman’s” waterfall had a gentle, elegant flow while the “man’s” waterfall was powerful, creating a turquoise pool at its base.

The journey also offered magnificent views of the hills and valleys surrounding Magome, and of the Kiso river that the road followed. As Tsumago drew near, the landscape gradually transformed. Nestled in the foot of the hills we glimpsed charming houses with their patchwork of vegetable gardens, a living tapestry where human life intertwined with nature in timeless harmony. 

The food

The journey along the Nakasendo provided numerous opportunities to sample local delicacies. In Magome, before starting our hike we tried local treats such as chestnut ice cream (the area is famous with its chestnuts) and Gohei mochi. Different from ordinary mochi that are made of glutenous rice, the Gohei mochi are made of ordinary rice and have firmer texture.

In Tsumago, many shops offered benches where weary hikers could rest and sample unique local sweets. Our favorites were dried persimmons stuffed with chestnut cream and chestnut cream monaka. Hot green tea was also available to refresh tired travelers.

As twilight fell over the town, we made our way to our lodgings, an onsen hotel in the nearby town of Nagiso, where we indulged in a soak in the outdoor hot spring and a delectable dinner buffet.

This hike was enchanting and romantic – a wonderful blend of natural beauty, history, and delicious local treats. Although our journey continued for two more days, exploring Kiso-Fukushima and Narai-Juku, even a day hike from Magome to Tsumago would provide a remarkable experience of this historic road.

Coming up next: Day 2 – Nagiso to Kiso-Fukushima